Wednesday, October 26, 2005

My Mamaw may be one of the funniest people I know. I think it's because her humor normally catches people off-guard. Unlike my Uncle's humor which is just strange (how can you tell a difference between an oral or rectal thermometer? The taste.) Mamaw's humor catches you off-guard because you don't expect her comments to be coming from an 80-some year old woman.

Right now she's in the hospital and as we were leaving one day my Dad said "Well you just rest tonight. Don't go running up and down the halls. Wouldn't want you to trip down the staircases." To which my Mamaw replied with, "Oh..... I'd just roll." A few days ago the nurse was checking her blood pressure and such and my Mamaw asked "So, do you think I'm pregnant?"

Sunday, October 23, 2005

I am moving into my new apartment next weekend. It's in the suburbs. God's timing with my living and working in the city is obviously not the same as mine. All the doors for me to get involved with ministry downtown have been shut.

I wondered if maybe I misunderstood God. Maybe I wasn't supposed to be involved with urban ministry. But I still have a heart for downtown. It frustrates me that I'm not doing anything. I think the calling is still there - the timing is not.

One day I realized something.

I think the suburbs are boring.

What if God isn't calling me right now to the "excitement" (for that's how I viewed it) of urban ministry? What if He is calling me to be ordinary? To live a radically boring and safe life? What if He calls me to the mundane? Could I do it? Could I be obedient enough to step out in faith not just when things are dangerous, but when life is dull?

And then I realized that the point isn't the level of greatness I am called to, or how content I am in my calling (whatever that is). I don't even think that the point is my obedience. The point is the One who calls me.

Maybe I focus too much on being obedient and what that looks like and not enough on Him who calls me.

So that's where I am right now and I pray that someday I will be working downtown.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

1. fit and thriving2. best known for being the leader3. always ready to help its members on any topic4. one of those people who beat the odds and was cured of HCV last year5. the first primate to be similarly modified.6. given the opportunity7. working as a publicist8. fun to work with very relaxed9. in town10. an average student

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Ben came up to surprise me with a visit this weekend. What a wonderful surprise!

We saw two things which could best be described as "creepy" this weekend.

One was when we were hanging out with his sister in this weird little town near my alma mater. There's really not much in this town except for several Halloween and party stores. We drove through at 11:00 pm and there was a large number of people just milling about the town. Families, Chinese MBA students, teenagers and couples were all just chillin'. A weird mix of people. That in and of its self was creepy but then at the end of the main street square there was this old cotton candy booth (like what they have at fairs) all lit up and selling cotton candy. The corner was very poorly lit and the whole scene looked like people were there for a festival we couldn't see. CREEEEEEEPY.

Today Ben and I went for a walk in the woods and after probably 3/4 of a mile we come to this clearing that is filled with little kids in costumes with their parents. The location had picnic tables but the shelter that was there was gone a long time ago - all that remained were the giant chimneys. It looked like we walked in on some strange wood fairy dance. The strangest thing was that the nearest parking lot was probably half a mile away. And some of these kids were really young. CREEEPY.

Aside from the creepy events it was a great visit. We went to a garage sale and I got dishes, a crockpot and a lamp all for 15 bones.

Sunday, October 09, 2005

As my car sputtered and died the guy at the window informed me that I had my food and that I needed to pull forward. I responded with beating my head against the steering wheel. The guy behind me (along with the other 20 cars in the drive-thru) responded with getting really ticked off.

By the time two Wendy's employees came out to push my car I had taken the key out of the ignition. They started pushing and my steering wheeling locked in a position that aimed me right for another car in the parking lot. The Wendy's guys kept yelling at me to steer toward the empty parking space. (My ignition sticks, so it took a couple tries before I got the key to turn and could unlock my steering wheel.)

We parked the car and I thanked the Wendy's employees and walked across the street to the gas station. I informed the little Indian man behind the counter that my car was out of gas and I needed a gas can. He just shook his head and said they didn't have any.

I stood there and stared at him and he told me to go around the front.

"So you do have gas cans?" I asked.

"Just go around there." He answered.

At this point I had no idea what was going on. Finally his co-worker jumped in and told me they didn't have any gas cans that they could loan out - I would have to buy one.

"That's fine. Where are they?"

The guy repeated that I needed to "Go around the front."

"So I go outside? Are they on the side of the building?"

"ASILE 1. GO TO ASILE 1!" He yelled back.

I eventually got some gas in my car and was done looking like a complete idiot for the night.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

I had planned to visit Ben that weekend for a while. I got a late start as I had to leave work later than I wanted to and then got stuck for an hour in a traffic jam in Cincinnati. I started to get really frustrated at the back-up of cars, but after a while I figured that there was a reason God had me stuck in traffic. When I saw smoke coming from my car I knew that He did.

The adventure that happened that night makes for a long story with which I won't bore you. I will give you the cliff notes of the evening.

A lady named Elizabeth stayed with me for 7 hours to make sure I made it. Her friend Bill came to help replace my alternator belt and the truck mechanic, Lenny, from next door also lent a hand. The first belt we tried was too big so Bill drove Elizabeth and I across the river to get a new belt. Bill, being an retired cop, thinks the speed limit of all streets in downtown Cincy is 50 mph. We were flying through the city with Bill yelling at everyone in his way. After a quick stop at an auto-parts store we flew back to my car. At one point Bill was trying to point out the school where he works on top of the hill. He stopped at a light and a building was blocking our view. So Bill threw the car in reverse and we went flying backwards down the road until we could see it.

That night was an adventure to say the least. I met some very kind people, even if they didn't know anything about how to replace an alternator belt (they were putting it on wrong - that's why it didn't fit.) Eventually we realized that the alternator was burned out and my dad and mom came down to help replace it. We finished working on my car at around 2 am and I made it to Lexington the next day.

Meeting Elizabeth was a neat experience. She didn't fit the standard Christian stereotype but she showed me more of Christ's love than most Christians. It was good to talk with her and encourage her and be encouraged.

If you think of it, pray for Elizabeth, Lenny and Bill. They all showed me kindness and could use some joy in life - they've all had it pretty tough. I'm glad I met them.

About Me

I am a 20-something, working professional. I am married to a wonderful man, and I really like that. I am a Christian and if I didn't have to work I would be volunteering in urban ministry more. My husband is a pastor and we are excited to be working in the city! We love our urban neighborhood!